Stošić after his win at FFC 28 Athens: UFC is my ultimate goal, but I have to gather more experience

Darko Stošićovercame another obstacle in his young but successful MMA career. FFC champion continued with delivering great performances and this Saturday in Athens he defended the belt for the second time.

After stripping the title from Dion Staring and then defending it again in their rematch, the Serbian heavyweight defeated Emil Zahariev without any problems whatsoever. It took Stošić only two minutes and five second to score eleventh win of his career landing a couple of mighty low kicks that devastated Bulgaria’s Zahariev.

“I feel great, every victory means a lot to me and it’s a new step forward. All the stress and training were worth it,” Stošić said after FFC 28.

Did Zahariev impress you with his appearance? You surely expected he would be heavier, but 25 kilos…

“Well I did not expect he will weight 130 kg. That is a lot. I was surprised, but I saw it as his disadvantage. “

Some would like to see you in light heavyweight division. What’s your opinion on that?

„A lot of people told me that. But I will stay in heavyweight division for now.“

Were those low kicks part of your game plan from the very beginning or did you see that you have a chance to land them when the match started?

„I did have a game plan. I often throw kicks so I just tried to give it a shot to see whether they would land. I saw they did and I just continued. It turned out it was a good decision and that’s how I won.“

You definitely owe a part of your success to Mirko Filipović with whom you trained very hard. What did you work the most on and in which segments did you improve the most?

„We mostly just sparred but that’s the key if you want to be read for a good 3×5 minutes match. I improved the most when it comes to my gas tank and conditioning.“

Did you talk to Cro Cop after your match and will you continue to cooperate?

„When someone helps you that much, of course you will call him after the match. Yes, we talked. We’re in touch and there is no reason for this cooperation not to continue.“

You finished this match very quickly and hopefully with no injuries. Do you plan to fight again soon? Maybe at the next FFC event next month in Ljubljana, Slovenia?

„Luckily, I sustained no injuries but I do need some rest. I did a tough training camp and I defended the belt not that long ago. I have to give my body a break a little bit so I can get in shape again. I always try to be ready and prepared. I never do anything halfway. But the event in Ljubljana is too soon and I do not have time to get in the shape the way I’d like to. I will have to skip the next FFC.“

Who would you like to fight next?

“I don’t know. I have no special demands.”

What about the UFC? Are you ready for the world’s biggest stage?

„UFC is everyone’s ultimate goal, which is logical. That’s the best organization at the moment. I would like to fight there, of course. But I don’t know yet, I will fist gather more experience,“ concluded Stošić.